In printing of textiles, it is common to use a printing paste containing a dye and a thickener. Among the commonly used thickeners are biological polymers and chemically modified biological polymers, such as alginate, starch or modified starch, locust bean gum, galactomannan or modified galactomannan and carboxymethyl cellulose.
With most printing methods, the polymer and excess dye must be removed by washing with water after the fixation of the print. Generally, a large amount of water is required for complete removal due to the high viscosity and low water solubility of the printing paste. Insufficient removal leads to unsatisfactory quality of the finished textile for the following reasons: 1) dye may be transferred to other parts of the printed textile or to other garments during laundering by the consumer. 2) Residual thickener will make printed areas stiff. It is the object of this invention to decrease process time as well as the amount of energy and water needed to achieve a satisfactory quality of the textile and to increase the quality which can be obtained regarding colour fastness and "hand".